The Grenada gazette., 1887-12-24
LONDON DOCK LABORERS.
Strong Men Who Work Worry Hard for Very
Little Pay.

l
Little Pay.
The dock laborers Of East Londo
are rather looked down on by laborel
in other work. They are roug
class Of men, upon whom the econe
mist frowns and who give the philar
thropist plenty Of employment for hi
time us we'll rs money.
They toll, when they can get work
from six until six. and earn on mn av
crage about five dollars a week if the,
understand their business and ar
strong and capable The regular
hands are paid ten cents an hour, nv
eraging about seventy cents da,
throughout the year.
! 1t seems strange that London docl
laborcrs have no trades unions or so
ciety for aiding each other TIL,
trouble is they arc antagonistic and
careless, and have less sympathy fol
one another than is to be found in any
other walk of life.
The foreman is the great mogul o.
the docks. before whom all bow, and
as soon as his work is through he
hastens away from his unsavory sur.
roundings to neat cottage in the
suburbs. or a secluded but respectable
back street. The question never agi-
tates him. or those beneath him, as
they 60 about their individual duties:
Gam I my brothers. keeper9'
But the universal dislocation Of the
social lifo Of East London manifests
itself in the docks, not only by the ab-
sence Of all ties between employer,
foreman and men, but in the complete
severance of the different grades Of
labor and among the more respectable
of the working class. in the isolation
OF the individual family. The ''per.
manent" man Of the docks ranks in
the social scale below the skilled me-
chanic or artisan. With wage usual
ly from twenty to twenty-five shillings
week and an average family, he ex-
lists above the line Of poverty, though
in times of domestic trouble he fire.
quently sinks below it. He is perforce
respectable and his lite must needs
be monotonous. His work requires lit
tie skill or intel!igence-the one abb
solute condition is regular and con-
slant attendance all the year through
He has even vested interest in regu.
larity-the dock company acting as q
benefit society in sickness and death
an interest whick he forfeits if he is
for neglect Of work. BY
the irregular hands the permanent
man is looked upon as an inferior
foreman and disliked as such. or de-
'pised as drudge. He. in his turn,
resents the popular characterization
If the dock laborcr as the "scum Of |
he earth"
The only recommendation for en-
'loyment on the docks is physical
strength. If a sinewy man appeals
or work who has just come out Of Jail
10 will be taken on just as quickly as
he experienced dock laborer. Pre-
'ious good character goes for nothing
With the con tractor, who would rather
lave pugilist than a saint.
The fact that a man without char.
&c ter can live by dock labor has de.
ided many n one to choose the evil
curse. But tho "chance for life" he
.ets on tho docks is sufli cient to damn
i'm for other work.
The casual workers or ticket men
re recruited from the failures in other
ranches Of trade. When tho tickets
re given out there is generally a fight
or their possession as il life depended
II it. Jack having secured ticket
y a savage fight sells it to needier
ON for two pence, and goes off with
ne coppers to drink or to gamble.
h II the rush Of business forces the
Employers to "clear the gates" many
those who on slack morning |
'ould be most desperate in their de.
land for work will "book off" after ?
ley have earned sufficient for a pint
beer and pipe Of tobacco and {
ights lodging. q
As the day draws on the more rc.
,ectable element will disappear, g
hilc its place will be taken by the Q
rofessional ''cadgcr" and dock t
unger. A gentleman who has lived Q
nd worked in this district twenty. +
'ree years estimates the number Of \
'ck and waterside loungers at two
lousand. These men would not work n
any price. They gain their liveli, i,
'od by potty theft, by cadging the q
'rnings Of their working friends n
rough gambling or drink, and b, i
laritable assistance. a,
The very system Of dock labor ha, =,
eated this degraded class It is tn. =,
sult of the difficulty Of obtainins !,
gular work and the ease of living "
lthout it-Beasrice Potter. in Nins.